Chapter 29 Realization
Realization.
Who the hell picks red and blue as wedding colors?
I stood off to the side of the ballroom, arms crossed. The place looked like a patriotic fever dream—red roses, navy linens, and gold accents that somehow made everything feel even more obnoxious. Not to mention the random gold sequins.
Tacky as hell.
El leaned close, voice low and smooth in my ear. “We pledging allegiance before or after the cake-cutting?”
I choked on a laugh, nudging him with my elbow. “You’re so stupid.”
He looked unfairly attractive in that black suit. No tie, of course—El always had to look like he wasn’t even trying, and still, everyone noticed. His hand was glued to my lower back, thumb rubbing lazy circles like he knew I needed the grounding.
“You sure you’re okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “As okay as I can be after watching my sister marry my ex-fiancé.”
He smiled a little, soft but not mocking. “Wanna spill wine on her dress?”
“Don’t tempt me.”
He brushed his thumb along the side of my hip. “We can leave early. Fake food poisoning. Or say I ate too much sugar.”
“They’d think I tried to kill you.”
“Better. Makes us a scandal. I like a little drama.”
“Of course you do.”
But I didn’t want to leave. Not really. There was something masochistically cathartic about standing in the middle of a life I used to want and realizing I didn’t miss it. Still, I felt the eyes.
People stared.
Not all at once, but in that discreet, polite way people do when they think you won’t notice.
Women leaned in to whisper behind perfectly manicured hands.
Older relatives who hadn’t seen me in years made wide-eyed glances between El and me.
I couldn’t blame them. Jonathan and I had been engaged once.
Now, Jonathan’s married to my sister, and I was here with an older, mystery man no one knew anything about.
And I wasn’t sorry for it.
“Don’t let them get to you,” El murmured, reading me too well. “They don’t know us.”
“They think you stole me,” I said under my breath.
He smiled like that idea amused him.
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t feed into it.”
“Of course not,” he said. But his grip on my waist tightened protectively anyway.
We made it through the ceremony without incident.
I had successfully avoided my mother. I didn’t cry.
I didn’t laugh either, though I came close when the officiant called Ryan and Jonathan “a testament to second chances.” El caught it and squeezed my thigh before I could roll my eyes all the way into the back of my head.
The reception came with all the awkwardness I expected.
Everyone smiled too big and talked too much, like they were trying to make sure I wasn’t about to snap.
El didn’t leave my side once. Not for food, not for drinks, not even when some woman in a glittery dress tried to flirt with him near the bar.
He leaned in close and whispered, “I’m taken,” then winked at me like he was proud to say it out loud.
We danced just far enough from the crowd to avoid bumping into anyone who might make things awkward.
But I didn’t care what the DJ played or who was watching.
El had his arms around my waist, my face tucked under his chin, and for a moment, it didn’t feel like I was standing at my sister’s wedding. It felt like I was just with him.
“I’m proud of you,” he said into my hair.
“For what?”
“For not flipping a table yet.”
I snorted. “The night is still young.”
He chuckled, pressing a kiss to the top of my head. He didn’t say anything—just pulled me closer and let me melt into him. He swayed with me a little longer, holding me like he knew I needed it.
And I did.
“What do you think about marriage, Ellie?” El asked casually. “Would you ever consider marrying someone else?”
I tilted my head, arching a brow. “You mean you?”
He smiled, a slow, knowing thing. “I meant in general.”
“I never really thought about it before,” I admitted, glancing out at the crowd. “It wasn’t something I was looking for.”
“And now?”
I looked back at him. “I’m not opposed.”
A softness settled over his expression. He reached for my hand on his chest, his thumb brushing across my knuckles. “I’d love to marry you one day, Ellie. You know that, right?”
I gave him a look. “Elliot, you absolutely cannot propose to me at my sister’s wedding.”
He laughed. “I wasn’t going to. I just wanted you to know.”
My eyes narrowed. “What’s going on with you?”
He hesitated for a moment, then glanced around at the reception hall.
“I don’t know,” he said finally. “Being around all this… It’s making me feel protective of you. I don’t want you to feel lonely here. You’re loved. I need you to know that.”
My chest tightened. “I know I am, El. But you’re freaking me out a little. I thought you were about to tell me you’re dying.”
He laughed again, his shoulders shaking. “I promise I’m in perfect health for now. You know—chronic illness aside.”
“Good,” I said, giving his hand another squeeze. “Let’s just focus on getting through today with our sanity intact.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to my temple. “Okay, Peanut.”
“And you’re loved too,” I added softly. “I love you. Very much.”
His eyes warmed. “I know, baby.”
I laid my head on his chest as we rocked slowly to the music. Across the room, Ryan and Jonathan posed for pictures. Her hand was on his chest and his fingers held her waist like he was born with her shape memorized. They looked good together.
My smile faded as I watched them. I wondered…
Had he changed?
Was he gentle with her the way he never could be with me?
Did he listen to her, respect her, love her?
Or did she just know how to keep him in check in ways I never could?
I felt El shift beside me, but I couldn’t take my eyes off them.
“Do you think they were always meant to be together?” I asked quietly, the words tasting bitter. “And maybe I was just the one that got in the way?”
“Who?” he asked. “Your cheating-ass ex and your backstabbing sister?” He glanced across the room and snorted. “Yes. A match made in fucking heaven.”
“Stop it,” I said, nudging him lightly. “You know what I mean. Like… maybe it’s already decided who we end up with.”
El tilted his head. “You mean like soulmates?”
“Do you believe in that?”
El didn’t answer immediately. “Of course I do. Especially after I met you.”
I scoffed. “Bullshit.”
“I’m serious.” His voice dropped. “When I first saw you, Ellie…it was like my heart said, Oh, it’s you. I’ve been looking everywhere for you. You made me nervous as hell, completely knocked me off my game just by looking at me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Liar.”
He shook his head slowly. “No. You were familiar. Everything became clearer. I looked at you and saw the rest of my life. That’s why I don’t even think it’s a coincidence we share the same name. You are undeniably my other half, Elliot.”
I didn’t know what to say. My breath caught somewhere between disbelief and the ache in my chest.
I let out a shaky breath. “El…”
“And they didn’t become something because you weren’t in the way. They didn’t even become something because they were soulmates. They became something because they didn’t respect you enough.”
He leaned in closer, his forehead brushing mine. “They’re terrible people for making you feel that way. You are not too much. You are not in the way of anyone. You’re extraordinary, and anyone who made you feel otherwise never deserved you to begin with.”
I pressed my lips tight, trying to keep it together. He made it so hard to fall apart when he looked at me like that.
“Understand?”
I nodded.
“Good, now stop worrying about them.” El’s voice was soft against my ear. My cheek rested on his shoulder as we swayed in place. His thumb traced slow, absentminded circles on the small of my back.
“El,” I murmured, my voice muffled by the collar of his shirt. “Do you really believe in soulmates?”
He didn’t hesitate. “Yeah. I do.”
I glanced at him, skeptical. “But if we all have someone out there waiting for us, what’s the point of dealing with other people and getting your heart broken?”
“Maybe we weren’t ready for each other yet,” he said, fingers brushing over mine. “Maybe we had to learn a lot before we could love each other the way we were meant to.”
“Or,” I teased, “maybe I just wasn’t born yet.”
A spark lit in his eyes as he gave me a playful glare.
“Oh, yeah?” he challenged, then slapped my ass.
I gasped, trying to pull back, but his grip tightened. “El!”
“You’ll pay for that later,” he whispered, dipping his head to kiss the curve of my neck. “I’ll show you exactly what this old man can do.”
I burst into a giggle, blushing as he pulled me closer and started running his hands along my thighs.
For a moment, I let myself forget where we were, who was watching, and what today was supposed to be about. I squirmed, trying to wriggle out of his grasp, laughter spilling out freely. For the first time all day, my mood was finally improving.
“Ellie?” Well, that was short lived.
My body stiffened at the sound of Ryan’s voice cutting through the moment.
I turned slowly, the smile falling from my face.
I’d been avoiding both her and Ma all day, weaving between rooms, slipping out of group photos, keeping El and I’s presence minimal.
But I knew I had to show my face eventually before I made my exit.
I guess that plan’s out the window.
She looked at Elliot. “I’m sorry, can I borrow my sister for a moment?”
El didn’t move. “Absolutely not. I’m in the middle of feeling her up.”
“Elliot!” I hissed, swatting at him, though part of me appreciated the way he never flinched in her presence.
He grinned and kissed my cheek. “Go ahead, Peanut. I’ll be right here.”
Ryan watched the exchange, then offered a small smile as we walked away. “You two have the same name.”
“Yup.” I answered dryly.
“He seems nice.”
I looked at her. “Not that he’s that type of person, but you go anywhere near him, and I will put my hands on you.”
“Fair.”